Review on 📻 Sony ICF-506 Portable FM/AM Analog Tuning Radio, Black, Lightweight 2.14 lb by Gina Estevez

Regarding the SONY ICF-506 Portable: While I was pleased with the external quality of this radio, there were a few things I really didn't like about it and I ended up sending in .1 ) Im Compared to the Panasonic RF2400, this radio consumes twice as much battery power. I tested both radios side by side. RF2400 consumes about 15-20 mA, SONY ICF 506 25-35 mA with the same signal and volume settings. This means that the battery life on the Sony is much shorter than on the Panasonic RF2400. In addition, SONY only uses three AA batteries (4.5 volts) instead of Panasonic's 4 AA batteries. (6 volts). This is also a factor in Panasonic's longer battery life. I use Panasonic for many days without changing the battery. I am amazed at the extremely long battery life of the Panasonic RF2400.2) Although the SONY ICF-506 has a dial-in tuner, it is a digital system designed to emulate analog characteristics. Battery life may have been saved by the lack of a digital tuning display, but the tuning mechanism is still digital under the hood. It also means that there are still "jumps" in tuning, rather than a smooth transition between channels. Bottom line for me: I don't really like the idea of fake analog audio, not at the expense of a smoother analog setup and lower battery life. On the other hand, SONY forgoes the best aspect of digital technology: accurate frequency measurements. 3) The SONY ICF-506 radio has a tuning LED which I found almost useless in use. Again to compare. Panasonic's RF 2400 has a much more useful analog tuning LED (just like a signal strength meter). The brighter the LED the better the signal is tuned to SONY, the tuning LED is either on or off and when I tuned to SONY I obviously already knew if I was in station or not. So LED on SONY is a useless feature at least on AM. 4) Regarding the sound quality: I found that the SONY ICF-506 does not sound as clear as the Panasonic RF2400. (which, by the way, costs at least $10 less) I've tried listening to each of these using the radio's built-in speaker, and also tried listening to each radio with headphones. The sound quality in the SONY headphones was worse than the Panasonic RF 2400. (SONY had less bass. , and the sound is more chaotic. The Panasonic has better highs and cleaner mids and bass. 5) The only thing I like more SONY ICF- 506 compared to RF-2500, housing and handles seem to be a bit more robust with SONY. Conclusion: Both radios are easy to use, both receive stations quite well, but I left the Panasonic RF2400, it was an easy decision. Please remember (from the engineer): Digital products are not always better than analog. Simplicity in electronic circuit design has its advantages. Microprocessors like Sony's use more power, cost more, have more batteries, and aren't as reliable.